FIH Youth Panel – bringing youth and hockey together

Getting Youth Involved… the FIH Youth Panel

Tina Brullo is the former programme/executive director for the British Columbia Hockey Association in Vancouver. She has been Youth Panel Co-ordinator for the FIH since 2003. 

The FIH’s Youth Panel is one of the most active youth-run sporting committees. It has more than 40 young hockey enthusiasts from 26 different countries working together to give hockey a voice worldwide. The panel ranges in age from 15-25, each having a different reason for being involved. 

Some are young umpires and coaches, others are organisers, some want to know how to run events while others simple want make the game better in their own country. However each has a common goal – the Panel’s motto is to help develop, promote and diffuse hockey worldwide. 

The Panel provides the opportunity for youth interested in hockey to communicate with other hockey enthusiasts. Through the Panel they can exchange ideas and gather information worldwide. They can join the Pen Pal program, become involved with the Umpiring Group or simply share the news of what is happening in their club, community or country. It gives hockey youth the chance to get in touch with others who have a similar goal of making a difference in the hockey world. 

The Panel is set up with a president, secretary and four project managers each responsible for one of four different project groups. The different project groups are the Umpiring Group, Pen Pal and Exchange Program, Communications Group and Events/Resources Team. Each of the project managers, together with the members of the Panel, works toward promoting hockey and creating greater awareness among youth. 

As in any sport, the youth are the future players, officials, coaches and organisers. The Panel aims to encourage youth worldwide to be involved in hockey at some level. An example is the Umpiring Group which aims to attract young hockey enthusiasts by offering them clear pathways to international level and providing top class tournaments for them to officiate at. 

The Pen Pal project provides an avenue to promote hockey as more than a game and give youngsters the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of hockey worldwide. The combination of communication and exchange creates the opportunity to learn a different language and get in touch with other cultures. 

The Youth Panel's achievements since the start of 2004:
·          Increased the membership numbers
·          Doubled the number of National Youth Panels from 5-10
·          Increase the number of Pen Pals to 250
·          Created a series of Newsletters
·          Initiated the donation of hockey equipment to Uganda
·          Developed a new Youth Panel website
·          Encouraged Youth to be involved in and run the Global Youth Marathon 

The Panel further hopes to create awareness and enthusiasm of youth hockey worldwide by providing resources for youth who are interested in hockey and stimulate them to take up leadership positions. 

In addition, National Associations need to be encouraged to have representatives on the Youth Panel and establish Youth Panels within their own country. The panel is able to provide information and templates on how to start a National Youth Panel. 

FIH youth events allow participants to display their talents both on and off the field to allow National Associations to realise their full potential. 

The 3rd World Youth Hockey Promoter Festival will be held in Santiago, Chile, in September. This event is designed to bring international hockey youth together for a week of activities which teaches them how to run events, be more involved and improve hockey in their country. 

They then get to take this knowledge back with them and share it with their National Associations and youth in their own country. Sending your youth to this event is the way forward for hockey in your country, as these youngsters can become your future leaders and administrators! 

Many participants of the first two Festivals are active within the FIH Youth Panel, and the festival provides the opportunity for the participants-to-be of the upcoming Festival in Chile to enjoy the same benefits and level of involvement.